Page 91 of Solstice

The air had once tasted magnetic in her presence, her magic coating my skin and my tongue in awareness ofher.In this realm, her light had dimmed to nothing. Would it be the same with the king? Or had he stolen something essential from her in order to get what he wanted?

Ivy fiddled with her phone, pressing a button and bringing it to her ear. When it went to the automated voicemail, she shook her head and said, “Fuck, I still can’t reach Siobhan.”

“The three of them made a pact with us. They’re coming back.”

“What if they don’t? What if the entireFiannais dead?”

“Stop ruminating,” I said. “We don’t have time for that.” I looked at the three guards and said in Russian, “She stays here. Don’t let her leave, and don’t harm her again, you understand?”

Each of the bodyguards nodded.

I turned to the queen, hoping something I said would break through her barrier. “You’ll keep out of trouble, yes?”

She narrowed her eyebrows for a moment, but nodded again, smiling with her bottom lip tucked between her teeth. I went to the bathroom and clicked on the light. “You can shower in here.”

“I’ll bring you some of my clothes,” Ivy said.

The queen clapped and nodded, jumping off the bed to throw her arms around my neck and kiss me on the cheek before doing the same to my fiancée.

What the fuck had the king done to her?

I met Ivy’s gaze, who seemed as confused and concerned as me.

I put my hands on the queen’s shoulders and pushed her back, trying to put as much sincerity in my eyes as I could. “You’re safe here, okay?”

I didn’t think she understood my words, but she nodded and that was enough for me. She gave me another hug and went to the shower, turning on the heat before stripping her robe over her head, careless of the five other people in the room. The guards turned away to give her some privacy.

Okay. She seems content enough.

I turned and shut the bathroom door behind me. Ivy rubbed at the spot on her neck where her X appeared and came closer so the guards couldn’t hear.

“Do you think she can still do magic?”

“If she could, she would have used it by now.” She ran her hands over her face. “This is such a bad idea.”

“Hey.” I snatched her chin and forced her to look up at me, my hands on either side of her cheeks. “Don’t fucking do that. We’re in the homestretch, and I need you, X.”

She nodded and steeled her gaze, swallowing down whatever anxiety she’d let bubble to the surface.

A few moments later, the bathroom door opened and Diana emerged wearing a towel. Ivy brought her an old pair of my gray sweatpants and a TWU hoodie. She put them on, caring little for propriety as she shucked the towel down to the ground before slipping the clothes over her body. Even dressed, she lacked that certain something that had made her the queen.

“Feeling better?” Ivy asked.

Diana smiled, pointing at Ivy and saying something that sounded jovial and uplifting. I imagined she liked my fiancée.

“We have to go back to Mount Vernon.”

The queen turned to face me.

“I wish we could do this any other way. I know you don’t like this, but…” I stood and went to her, holding her wrists between us.“Tell me the truth. Are you still in there?”I glanced between her eyes, and she blinked, grimacing for barely a second before ultimately nodding.

Did it work?

I tried again. “How do we break this curse? How do we fix you?Tell me the truth.”

She winced this time and pulled her arms away, moaning and rubbing at the places I touched her. She made incoherent and rambling sounds, occasionally scoffing and rolling her eyes. I had no idea what she was saying, but I understood all the same.

Don’t fucking touch me.

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